Many surfers who ride waves at beaches in the Santa Monica Bay will tell you they don't think about sharks. But photos shot this week by a longtime local surfer have created a buzz about "Jaws" in the lineup. The photos, taken Saturday morning by Randy Wright, apparently show a large white shark jumping out of the waters off Sunset Beach near Pacific Palisades. "It was like, 'Oh my God,' " Wright said Wednesday. "I was really stoked. . . . It was definitely a fascinating experience."

Unfortunately, every project that involves change--even the most sensible--will face opposition from a vocal minority. The article on the surfers who oppose the Bolsa Chica Coalition's plan to restore the Bolsa Chica wetlands is a prime example. Although they may not think so, these surfers are in the minority in their opposition to this project. Thousands of residents of Huntington Beach support the goals of the Bolsa Chica Planning Coalition because 1) it means the wetlands will be restored and 2)

A surfer died after he was pulled unconscious from the ocean near Isla Vista, authorities said. Surfers at the Depressions area near Coal Oil Point noticed the man acting strangely Sunday afternoon. He was dunking his head in the water as he paddled toward waves, authorities said. Surfers found the man unconscious about 200 yards offshore. They placed him on his board and attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation before bringing him to shore.

When a Pacific Northwest storm barreled into Orange County Wednesday, hundreds of eager surfers and body boarders took advantage of surf in the six- to eight-foot range, with some waves breaking at heights of up to 15 feet. No injuries were reported, but lifeguards said they were kept busy rescuing the more inexperienced among the dozens of surfers and boaters who headed into the dangerous waves. "It was crazy," Seal Beach Lifeguard Lt. A.J. Summers said.

With towering, eight-foot waves crashing thunderously in front of him and a light ocean breeze taming the bright Wednesday morning sun, Chris Bushhousen couldn't help but smile when thinking about the weather back home in Germany. Here was Bushhousen on the second day of fall, living a classic California postcard vacation as he took in the rays and watched his daughters splashing near Newport Pier. Over in Frankfurt, meanwhile, the forecast called for chilly temperatures and cloudy skies.

A surfer drowned Thursday after he hit a piling while trying to cross under the municipal pier, Huntington Beach police said. The man, who had not been positively identified Thursday night, was surfing about 5 p.m. when he hit the piling and fell, police said. He had severe head and chest injuries. Lifeguards tried unsuccessfully to revive him, and he was pronounced dead at Pacifica Hospital in Huntington Beach, police said.

Professional surfer Sunny Garcia pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to making false statements on his federal tax returns and failing to report more than $317,000 in prize money from 1996 to 2001. Garcia, of Rancho Santa Fe, faces a possible three years in prison when sentenced Aug. 28. He was a star of the reality TV show "Boarding House: North Shore," set in Hawaii.

Whose ocean is it? As an active surfer since 1957, I find it a shame that some surfers don't understand the value of enjoyment and camaraderie that surfers have shared since I began surfing. Challenging the elements, not other surfers, has been an important part of my life. To have to fight your way into or out of the ocean is absurd. It is a lower form of animal thinking that brings out territorial rights. Richie Collins, as good as he may think he is, has a lot to learn about human rights and sharing.

A Malibu jury deadlocked Friday in the trial of two surfers charged with beating a French paparazzo on the beach two years ago. The hung verdict comes after about half a dozen delays in the trial of Skylar Peak, 26, and Philip Hildebrand, 31, who were each facing one count of misdemeanor battery. The June 2008 incident was caught on camera and spread across the Internet. A dozen paparazzi were angling for a shot of actor Matthew McConaughey when they were confronted by a group of local surfers, including Peak and Hildebrand.